Share the Story

PROJECT
Our goal is to historically renovate and restore the building which was originally the Okmulgee Colored Hospital.  In 1984, the Okmulgee Colored Hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Because the building has been vacant since the early 80s, it is in critical need of substantial repairs. 

Our goal is to establish a multicultural museum and community gathering place for Okmulgee residents.  The facility will display medical artifacts and furnishings from the period in which it was operational.  There will be self-guided tours telling the story of the hospital as well as the African American history of the community during the time the hospital was operational.   Through displays, exhibitions, and videos, we will highlight the lives of the people who graced her doors for the past 100 years.

HISTORY
In 1920, the City of Okmulgee passed a bond issue which included the building of  a new hospital for the Okmulgee black community.  However, hospital construction did not begin.  Two years later, Okmulgee’s African-American community raised an additional $25,000 for needed construction costs from federated clubs and local citizens.

In 1922, Oklahoma’s first “colored hospital” was finally constructed as a two-story, eighteen-room, twenty-five bed institution. The building also included living quarters for the hospital staff nurses.

However, the newly constructed hospital remained vacant for 2 more years due to inadequate operational funds.

In 1924, a group of African-American citizens formed the Colored Hospital Association to fund the operation  of the "Okmulgee's Colored Hospital".

On Feb 22, 1924, Oklahoma’s first African-American hospital officially opened.

From that time until 1957, the hospital was an example of segregated medicine and care for the black community of Okmulgee. Important medical services and care was provided at the hospital but it was also a symbol of our nations view prior to the Civil Rights Movement - segregation.

In 1957, when Okmulgee opened a number of integrated health facilities, the “Okmulgee Colored Hospital” was closed.

RESTORATION PLAN
PHASE 1 - ROOF (completed by generous donation from Covington Aircraft)
PHASE 2 - WINDOWS & DOORS
PHASE 3 - ELECTRICAL
PHASE 4 - PLUMBING
PHASE 5 - BUILDING EGRESS
PHASE 6 - ACCESSIBILITY
PHASE 7 - HVAC SYSTEM
PHASE 8 - EXISTING ELEVATOR PRESERVATION
PHASE 9 - MISCELLANEOUS
PHASE 10 - COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT
PHASE 11 - DISPLAY CREATION
PHASE 12  PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

No donation is too small and no donation is too large.  We also gladly accept in-kind donations of materials, time and service.

Let’s join hands and bring along all the history of our families and restore this beautiful building, preserving something special for our city and state. Please join me in this important project making it a community effort. Thank you for your time!

Leman Lewis, Sr.